Episode 28: The Economics of Star Trek (Part 1)

April 11, 2019 by Kurt Onstad

Kurt calls up economy professor Matt Dobra again, this time to discuss the economy of the Federation from the world of Star Trek. They famously say they do not use money in the future, and we dive into whether or not that would work. Learn about post-scarcity, the hedonic treadmill, and other economic terms through the lens of one of the most famous science fiction franchises of all time!

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Episode 24: Doctor Who Viewing Order and Star Trek vs Star Wars

February 14, 2019 by Kurt Onstad

Doctor Who? That is the question, isn’t it. Which Doctor should be your first, and in what order should you watch? Also, why do so many fans insist on choosing between Star Wars and Star Trek?

Not what I meant when I said “Star Trek vs Star Wars,” but this would also be a fun question to answer.

The first two rows are your “Classic” Doctors, with the final row being the current “Modern” lineup.

Episode 23: Star Trek TV and Movie Viewing Order

January 31, 2019 by Kurt Onstad

With all of the different Star Trek shows that have aired, what’s the best order for a burgeoning Trekkie to watch them in? Kurt gives his opinion on which option is best, and why. But first, for the non-initiated, what are all those acronyms?

As promised in the show, the viewing order Kasia found and referenced in her question is here.

Has there been any other show that went from live-action to animated and kept its entire cast?

The first movie talks about the crew getting old. And then it keeps going…

What happened to the B and C? Don’t worry, you’ll find out eventually.

My personal favorite, but to each their own.

You’d think the ship name would be a warning of what was going to happen…

Episode 22: Gatekeeping - What Is It, Why Is It Bad, and How To Fight It

January 17, 2019 by Kurt Onstad

I’ve been mentioning “gatekeepers” in the opening of nearly every episode, but what is a gatekeeper? This week, we define gatekeeping, explain how it harms, and try to figure out where it comes from and how to fight against it.

Often a textbook example of a gatekeeper on the show.

If you are in the Bay Area of California and want a positive comic book store experience, as I mentioned, my friend runs Illusive Comics! She offers shipping of comics to those who can’t find a good store in their area. Let me know other good comic book stores you’ve found, and I’ll shout them out in future episodes!

Episode 10: The Future is Now!

August 02, 2018 by Kurt Onstad

Starting from near the beginning of the science-fiction genre, here are just a few times that sci-fi predicted technology before its arrival in our world.

Verne overestimated the flight time by about a day, but they got knocked off course by an asteroid.

If you're expecting the book "I, Robot" to bear any resemblance to the Will Smith movie...don't.

Not actually a robot, but an android (robots are purely mechanical, androids have some organic bits to them).

"Little known" fact. "Beam me up, Scotty" is never said in the TV show or any of the original cast movies. (Many Trekkies already know this)